2026/07/17
This time, I'm sharing a development post about "Survival Diary".
Originally, I was planning to add some more explicit, provocative scenes and sell it elsewhere,
but after meeting so many different players on Steam,
I decided to tone it down a bit and release it on Steam instead.
So please keep in mind that the game still contains rough language and raw, unfiltered expressions.
* Title: Survival Diary
* Genre: Story Adventure for Adults
* Main Director / Story / Illustration: Rei
* System Director / Translation / Additional Support: Catspam
[Survival Diary: Animation Samples]
Just like Crow Castle, I'm mainly working on animations.
Some of them were originally going to be still CGs only, but I kept thinking,
"This is the kind of scene where the character needs to move for it to really match my vision and taste."
And once that thought starts repeating in my head, I ended up making them an animation.
I'm really happy with how it turned out. 🤗
[Survival Diary: CG Samples]
These are part of the title screen design and some of the CGs that appear during event scenes.
The protagonist in this story isn't just pathetic - he's downright gloomy and kind of creepy.
And what do you do when something that's damp, dank and dark?
Dry them out thoroughly in the sunlight after a meal.
If you just leave them like that, their serotonin dies. 🌞
The mood and concept I want to express in this game are "bleak and gloomy, but warm".
It's an atmosphere I've always wanted to try, and I hope I can pull it off well.
I also want to discover lots of new sides of themselves through this project.
Honestly, I've already discovered a lot, but I want to find even more. :)
[Survival Diary: Gameplay Systems]
Here are some example screenshots of the gameplay systems.
Since the title is Survival Diary, I really wanted to include a hunting and butchering mechanics,
so I'm preparing a system like the one shown above.
When I'm working, I often get suddenly obsessed with something.
For example:
"In a rural area, it's not easy to get meat. The market is far away."
"But if you want to survive, you have to do something.
Potatoes and corn are fine, but without meat, you'll end up deficient in iron, protein, vitamin B12, and so on."
(There are eggs, sure, but they're not as good a substitute.)
"If you're not going to trek all the way to a distant market, hunting is unavoidable.
And you still have to dress and butcher what you catch."
That's why I became weirdly fixated on the butchering system. haha;
As for hormone related systems, right now I've only gotten as far as:
"Should high oxytocin let you tame animals? Or should it be testosterone? Or both?"
So I'm still mulling it over.
If I keep poking my teammate who specializes in systems, maybe I'll get some ideas out of him? (poke poke)
(Also it might be funny if when the protagonist has low testosterone,
and when he asks the heroine for 'something(?)' he just deflates and then shrivels up. 🤭)
That's roughly how development of Survival Diary is going.
With both Crow Castle and Survival Diary, it's genuinely fun to see what I planned gradually taking shape,
and to discover sides of myself I didn't expect along the way.
I want to finish as soon as possible, but once a project starts to feel dear to me,
it's also a little sad to imagine it ending.
Still, I think that sense of attachment only comes because I worked on it,
and it makes me excited for what comes next. I really like that feeling.